On March 5, the Department of Environmental Protection announced it will hold a virtual public hearing on April 6  at 6:00 p.m. to take testimony from interested parties on DEP’s prompt interim response under the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act at the former Mazzaro-McKees Rocks Landfill site in Kennedy Township, Allegheny County.

This unpermitted municipal landfill ceased operations prior to modern regulations and sits atop historic coal mining features.

In 2006, DEP previously conducted a prompt interim response to remove exposed waste and drums from a portion of the site.

Recent work by DEP and its contractors has demonstrated that landfill gas (LFG), including methane, exists within the site and potentially beyond the boundaries of the site, at levels that exceed standards established in Pennsylvania regulations for combustible gas monitoring, off-site migration, and mitigation at permitted municipal waste landfill sites.

DEP has begun a second prompt interim response at the site to help prevent the potential for offsite LFG migration.

After considering multiple alternatives for remediation at the site, DEP determined that the most cost-effective approach that also meets the objective of the project is to install a passive trench venting system.

DEP estimates the total project budget to be between $1.6 million and $2 million, with less than one year for its contractor to complete the work.

The administrative record which contains the information that supports DEP’s selection of this response action is available for public review and comment. The administrative record is available for review on the DEP’s webpage for this response.

Those wishing to register for the virtual public hearing must contact Lauren Fraley, community relations coordinator, by email at lfraley@pa.gov or by calling 412-442-4203, at least 24 hours before the hearing.

Video demonstrations and screen sharing by witnesses will not be permitted. Testimony will be limited to three minutes. DEP asks that each organization designate one speaker per group and reminds those presenting that time may not be shared or relinquished to others.

The WebEx information for the virtual public hearing is available through the public participation page on DEP’s website.

DEP will equally consider all comments, whether delivered orally during the virtual hearing or submitted in writing. Written comments may be submitted to RA-EPSW-HSCA@pa.gov  and must be received by 4:00 p.m. on May 21.

Individuals wishing to attend who require an auxiliary aid, service, or other accommodations to participate should contact Lauren Fraley by email at lfraley@pa.gov or by calling 412-442-4203.

Hamilton Relay Service is available by calling 1-800-654-5984 (TTD users) or 1-800-654-5988 (voice users) and request that the call be relayed to Lauren Fraley at 412-442-4203.

Visit DEP’s Hazardous Sites Cleanup Program webpage for more information on this program.

[Posted: March 5, 2021]

3/8/2021